The present invention relates to standing seam roof constructions of the type used on various buildings, for example, on rectangular metal buildings which have spaced beam members arranged to form a roof having a ridge at the longitudinal centerline thereof, and spaced purlins spanning the beams to which the roof panels are secured.
Various methods of erecting such standing seam roof structures, and various roof panel assemblies such as those of the type illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,168,596 and 4,106,250 have been proposed and various panel systems such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,155,209; 3,535,844; and 3,667,180 have employed factory applied mastic as a water-proofing material. None of these prior constructions, however, have the combined attributes of the standing seam roof panel assemblies which presently will be described.
The present panel assembly incorporates matching mastic or "hot melt" material beads on the upstanding panel seaming edges, which may be applied at the factory in a predetermined bead volume along a protected pocket located interjacent the ends of each of the upstanding seaming edges in a predetermined location.
One of the prime objects of the present invention is to design a panel structure in which pairs of adjacent panel sheets, having upstanding mating seams adapted to be locked in a standing seam are so designed that the roof seaming operation which deforms the assembly extrudes the flowable mating mastic or "hot melt" material strips which have been applied to the panels at the factory into even the most minute crevices between the mating seams, to provide a completely water-tight joint.
Another of the prime objects of the invention is to provide the mastic or "hot melt" material in the form of continuous, longitudinal beads deposited in communicating, mating, seam pockets which protects the mastic during shipment of the panels from the factory to the job site in bundles.
The invention contemplates placement of the mastic in an optimum protected position on the upstanding seam edges in a manner such that the generally upstanding seam edges can slide against each other during transportation and erection of the roof panels without dislodging or damaging the mastic, the complemental mastic masses coming in contact only when the cap is installed and the cap and seaming edges are deformed during the seaming operation.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a structure which can be used at a three or four corner panel intersection point to provide a water-tight structure and also at the ridge joint to provide a water-proof ridge joint.
The invention contemplates incorporation of the complementing mastic beads in the adjacent standing seam edges to be mated at a location below any notches which are made at three or four corner laps or elsewhere.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an assembly and method of the character described wherein mastic-to-panel adhesion and mastic-to-mastic cohesion are assured because of the manner in which the mastic beads are disposed in complementary relation in the seam edges to be mated and then squeezed during the seaming operation.
A further object of the invention is to provide a standing seam roof panel assembly of the character described which is easy and economical to erect, and can be easily and reliably unitized in the field, using a relatively simple seaming apparatus to perform the edge seaming operation.
Still another object of the invention is to minimize the necessity of the field application of gun grade mastic which may be inadvertently misapplied, or not applied at all, during the erection of the building.
Still a further object of the invention is to design a symmetric roof panel of the character described which will readily nest with like panels when bowed slightly to "open" it up, the construction lending it to an economical form of shipment in which the panels are strapped in a nested stack.